The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, on Saturday,  inaugurated a twin lecture theatre at the Kaduna State University in Kaduna.

Also, the agency’s skill acquisition centre with facilities such as electrical, mechanical, sewing, technical, and welding learning facilities amongst others, for youths and women, was inaugurated in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Speaking while commissioning the two projects, the outgoing Minister of Transportation, Mu’Azu Sambo, said the projects were a testament to the unending commitment of the Federal Government to bequeathing lasting structures with socio-economic impact on Nigerians.

Sambo also commended the untiring efforts of  NIMASA under the management of Dr Bashir Jamoh in poverty alleviation through the development of projects targeted at human capacity building.

The minister said, “I count it both an honour and a privilege to stand before the good people of Nigeria to commission projects that will have a life-changing impact on our nation’s history.

“The projects to be commissioned here today stand as a testament to the unending commitment of the Federal Government to building structures with long-lasting socio-economic rewards.

“I dare say that NIMASA has displayed to Nigerians and indeed the whole world that the Agency is a socially responsible organization, playing its part in poverty alleviation through the development of projects targeted at human capacity development.

In his address at the commissioning, the outgoing Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai,  represented by his Deputy, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, noted the commitment of the Kaduna State Government to education while thanking NIMASA for completing the project in record time.

Also, in his remarks, the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Bamali, said the need for skills acquisition could not be overemphasized, adding that the project would be of immense benefit to the people of Zaria and the country at large.

“Strategic investment in human capital is key to the development of any nation and that is why I am always preaching for entrepreneurship and for us to graduate from rent-seeking jobs,” he said.

The monarch also commended the NIMASA DG for sponsoring 2,500 young people at the  Maritime Training Institute noting that he has empowered them for life.

Earlier, the Director General of the Agency, Dr Bashir Jamoh, said the interventions were part of the agency’s policy on infrastructural development of the educational system in the country.

Jamoh noted that the projects being commissioned were first of their kind in line with the agency policy, adding that similar projects were constructed across the six geo-political zones of the country.

According to him, the projects will also address the security challenges in the country with their adverse effect on both land and water.

“These areas include education and job creation. This is why in Zaria, we are commissioning skill acquisition centre to address the challenges of job creation for over 60% of the teeming youths in Nigeria.

“The idea is to see how we can apply a non-kinetic approach to the security challenges bedevilling this country. This security challenge is not only peculiar to the areas where we have water but also land.

“Because most of the crimes that we are experiencing today, start on land and end on water. This is why we have to touch everywhere.

“We will continue to contribute our own quota to the development of this country in terms of maritime and interns of security, be it land security or our own waterway security.”